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average improvement of 15 percent in countries' scores. The greatest
long-term improvements have been shown by China, Iran and Nepal, but
progress has been concentrated in education and health rather than
income, said the U.N agency.
Afghanistan
is new to the list this year — reliable statistics were not previously
available — but otherwise leaders and laggards are largely the same.
However,
five countries rose three or more places — China, Colombia, France,
Peru and Venezuela — while seven countries dropped more than two places
— Belize, Ecuador, Jamaica, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, and Tonga.
The index was released as part of the UNDP's annual Human Development Report, which this year highlighted migration.
"Most
migrants, internal and international, reap gains in the form of higher
incomes, better access to education and health and improved prospects
for their children," said the report. "These gains often directly
benefit family members who stay behind as well as countries of origin
indirectly."
It
also suggested that as the populations age in developed countries, they
could benefit from increased migration to boost their work forces.
But it cautioned that encouraging migration should not substitute for "efforts by developing countries
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